Electric plug socket construction



Oct. 25, 1938. N. cHlRl-:LsTElN ELECTRIC PLUG SOCKET CONSTRUCTION FiledNOV. 6, 1936 7 f i ,fr I

O/ Efdm E IINM IN VENTOR.

Patented Oct. 2.5, 1938 UNITED STATE-s ELEc'ralc PLUG 2,134,674 slocxE'rcoNs'raUc'noN Nathan Chirelstein, Newark, N. J. I Application November6, 1936, Serial No. 109,408

2 Claims. (Cl. 1735332) I My invention relates to electric plugs and inparticular to socket members used therewith, or

used as socket members in other types of constructions.

The object of my invention is to provide a socket member that will carrya predetermined current of electricity without overheating.

A further object is to provide a socket having jaws made of soft metalsuch as brass or copper, which will carry practically all of thecurrent, and a spring made of va ilat strip of steel bent into a Ushape, the free ends oi' which rest upon the jaws and hold them incontact with the prongs or blades of the male'plug member under apressure such as to action of the jaws on the blades.

A further object is to provide a construction 'r which requires noscrews to hold the spring element in co-operative relation with the jawmembers; the main elements consisting of but three parts comprising thetwo jaw members and the spring held together in assembled relation bythe spring.

A further object isto so construct the parts that the spring cannotshift from its adjusted position after ithas been attached to the jaws,and also, that it -may be easily removed from the jaws and exchanged fora spring of less or greater stiffness, as occasion may require.

My improved socket. construction is shown in the present application asit appears when constructed for use in a female plug casing; the shankportions being formed with oiiset flanges by means of which they areheld in proper position in the casing, but it will be understood thatthe shanks may be made of any metal or in any form required for thespeciilc purpose of use.

Referring to the drawing which forms a part o! this -speciiicatiom Fig.1 is a vertical sectional view thru the casing of the plug, disclosingthe sockets and parts located in their normal positions therein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, on line 2-2 of Figure l, showing thearrangement of the electrical conductors Arelative to al fibre-boardplate thru which they extend.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a socket and a spring member asthey' appear in theact of assembling and Fig. 4 is a cross sectionalview on line 4--4 oi' Figure 3, the dotted lines illustrating the springin its iirst position of assembly and the full lines showing the springin the position shown in Figure 3, as it appears prior to being swungsocket construction with the spring insure a strong clutch laterallyover the body of the jaw members, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Fig. A5 is a vertical sectional view of a complete member in position onthe jaws which are held together 5 under pressure of the spring, theview being taken on line 5-5 oi Figure 3, in which view the springmember is not shown in its normal position on the jaws.

' Fig. 6 is a. perspective view of the spring mem- 10 ber in which itsclosed end is shown to be formed with ilat sides and its free ends to becurved to stiiien them laterally and also to hold them in position onthe upper or outer curved surfaces of the jawl members.

Fig, 'l is a fragmentary cross, sectional view thru one end of a socketconstruction in which the inner sides of the jaws are formed with curvedsurfaces -to embrace a circular prong.

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of a socket 20 formed to provide flatjaws to engage with a ilat blade terminal member.

. Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view thru one end of the socket,:taken online 9-9 of Figure 8, showing a flat blade held in the jaws; the sides25 of the jaws being turned outwardly to position the ends of the springmember.

I0 indicates a casing body portion of insulating material, and I I anupper end portion held thereon by suitable means.

The upper end portion is formed with a chamber II' which is rectangularin cross section, and a bre-board plate I2 extends at an angle from onecorner at one side of the chamber to a corner on the opposite side asillustrated in Fig- 35 ure 2.

The body portion III is formed with two cham'- bers I3-I3 respectivelyby means of a central partition I 4, the upper end part of which isreduced in width to form shoulders I5-I5 re- 40 spectively. y

Sockets Iii-I6 respectively are formed vwith shank portions I'I-IIrespectively, each shank portion having an offset ange I1 which rests ona shoulder I4? of the casing, and a similar 45 shoulder I8 which restsunder the lower end o! thevtop Il at I9 and is held thereby in positionbetween the casing portions.

Each socket construction comprises two jaw members 2li-20 respectivelyhaving shank por- 50 tions I1-I'I respectively formed integraltherewith, and a spring member 2l which is formed as illustrated inFigure 6. y

Each shank is provided with an opening 22 formed as shown to provideoppositely disposed projecting parts 22, shown in dotted lines, and 23,which are located midway the width oi.' the opening, and the spring 2 i,having been placed in position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, is swunglaterally over the jaws to their normal position as illustrated.

It will be understood that the length and width of the opening 22 is butslightly greater than the width oi' the spring, and the projections 22and 23 are closely positioned to the opposite walls of the spring toprevent it from shifting its position on the jaw members.

The width of the metal side conducting portions 25-25 respectively, issumcient to carry the current from the shank portion to the jaw withoutundue resistance and therefore they do not become hot enough to aiectthe temper of the springs; also the width being reduced permits the jawportions to bend easily when the blades are forced between them in theact of coupling.

When made for use with cylindrical prongs the jaws are formed withcurved inner sides and belled ends as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5,and when ilat blade terminals are to be used the jaws may be formed asillustrated in Figures 8 and 9, but it will be understood that the jawshaving curved surfaces will also serve to hold a ilat blade terminal.

When the jaws are formed to -hold ilat blade terminals, the side edgesare turned outward as illustrated at 26-26 respectively 'and the freeends o! the spring rest between them as illustrated in Figure 8.

The shanks are formed with drilled and tapped openings' to receive thebinding screws 21, and with holes 28 thru which the lead-in wires 29extend.

The plate l2 is also provided with holes III thru macon which the wiresextend and the parts are allembled as illustrated in Figure 1, as willbe readily understood.

The construction as a whole. is simple and emcient, and may be made at alow cost.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new:

1. A socket construction comprising two Jaw members, each oi which isformed with a shank having an opening adjacent its inner end, saidopening being substantially rectangular and having inner, outer and sidewalls, a projection on each of the inner and outer walls of the openingwith said projections being oppositely disposed centrally of the sidewalls o! the Opening and terminating in spaced relation and deiining aspace on each side o! the projections and a substantially U-shapedspring having the bight thereof disposed between said projections withthe arms of the spring extending over the outer sides of the jaw membersto hold them together in operative relation.

2. A socket construction comprising two jaw members, each oi' which isformed with a shank having an opening adjacent its inner end, saidopening being substantially rectangular and having inner, outer and sidewalls, a substantially U-shaped spring having the bight thereoi'disposed in said openings with the arms o! the spring extending over theouter sides of the jaw members to hold them together in operativerelation and oppositely disposed means projecting inwardly into theopenings from the inner and outer walls of theopenings dening a space oneach side of said means and for engagement with the bight of the springfor holding the latter against movement longitudinally of the jawmembers.

NATHAN CHIREIBTEIN.

